But, no, it’s Best Beach Boardwalk in general — and since the list contains beaches from places like Fiji, it’s actually naming the Atlantic City boardwalk the best beach boardwalk in the world. Take that, boardwalks that I don’t know exist in, say South American and East Asian cities!

On Monday night, the 2013 Barrymore Award winners were announced at Old City’s Arden Theatre. Philadelphia actress Charlotte Ford (pictured) came away the biggest individual winner, taking home the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist. Ford conceived of and co-starred in BANG, the 2012 Fringe festival hit, and also won the 2012 Best of Philly award for Theater Talent from Philadelphia magazine. This was Ford’s third year in a row as a nominee for the Haas award, and it’s a well-deserved victory. Read more »

On Wednesday, the MacArthur Foundation announced the 24 recipients of its “genius” grant, a $625,000 no-strings-attached award given to “individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future.” Read more »

— Angela Duckworth, 43, Philadelphia. Research psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania helping to transform understanding of just what roles self-control and grit play in educational achievement.

The 44-year-old created the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers as a means to find and track the poorest patients with the most complex medical issues. Those patients are visited wherever they are — at home, in shelters — and escorted to doctor’s appointments.

“We cut, scan, zap and hospitalize (patients),” said Brenner, whose group is now working with 10 communities to develop similar systems. “But we forget we need to take care of them.”

House calls—which our grandparents took for granted—count as innovation these days. That’s OK! Good for Brenner!

One characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn’t social intelligence. It wasn’t good looks, physical health, and it wasn’t I.Q. It was grit.

Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

There was one other “Genius” with a local tie; a writer who spend part of 2012 living near the Art Museum:

— Karen Russell, 32, New York City. A fiction writer and author of the novel “Swamplandia!” whose work blends fantastical elements with psychological realism.

No, ’tis the season for medals, plaques and certificates, after all. As a matter of fact, right now, Saveur magazine is in the final days of their 2011 Best Food Blog Awards. As with Solomonov in Manhattan last night, Philly has got a couple locals in the running, and guess what?